The Festival of Bones / El festival de las calaveras

www.latinola.com

"One of the most whimsical books about the Day of the Dead is Luis San Vicente’s The Festival of Bones. This bilingual book is a translation of a book that was originally published in Mexico. With gorgeous illustrations, it depicts a host of skeletons who, on the Day of the Dead, come out and play en masse and make their way to the graveyard for their annual festival. With singing and dancing skeletons, and characters such as 'La calaca Pascuala,' whom we are told 'canta/Sin pena ni temor/Aunque le falte una pata/Y en el sombrero lleve una flor,' The Festival of Bones is at once lively and funny and offers a playfully imaginative treatment of the Day of the Dead. While the narrative does not really explain the Day, there are child-friendly explanatory notes at the back of the book as well as recipes for pan de muertos and sugar skulls. … The Festival of Bones… provides an opportunity to have some great imaginative fun with [the Day of the Dead]."